The present invention relates to an ocular delivery system for dispensing medicinal or soothing liquids for treating or laving an eye.
Dispensers for supplying eye drops, eye medication and eye washing solutions are well known in the art. In their simplest form, dispensers have consisted of eyecups into which a liquid for treating or laving the eye is placed. Use of these eyecups typically requires the user to tilt his/her rearward which often results in liquid flowing down the user's face.
Some dispensers feature the eye cup directly secured to a container of the eye washing solution. U.S. Pat. No. 1,692,143 to Strunz, for example, illustrates the combination of a compressible rubber ball containing the liquid to be dispensed, an eye cup joined to the rubber ball, and a rose having a plurality of holes for creating jets of the liquid. In this dispenser, a space between the outer wall of the rose and the inner wall of the eye cup is used to collect liquid dropping back from the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,231,112 to Conner illustrates an eyecup having a base member with a threaded portion for engaging the threaded neck of a bottle containing an eye washing solution. U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,728 to McKenna illustrates a similar type of dispensing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,200 to Sharra et al. illustrates a dispenser for dispensing an exact number of drops into the center of an eye. The dispenser comprises an eyecup which is snapped over the cap of a bottle containing the eye drops.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,232 to Borowick illustrates yet another type of dispenser which has a base portion adapted to receive an eye lotion or liquid and an eyecup surmounting the base portion. The eyecup is connected to the base portion by means of a neck portion through which a valved passageway extends. By manipulation of the device, either prior to or during its application to the eye, the lotion or solution is caused to pass through the passageway from the container to the eyecup.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,251 to Harrison illustrates still another type of dispensing device. This device includes a container for holding the liquid to be dispensed, an eyecup, and a deformable squeeze bulb affixed to the eyecup. The bulb communicates with the fluid in the container via a tube. By squeezing the bulb, fluid is drawn into it from the container. The eyecup and bulb are then removed from the container and positioned over the user's eye. Squeezing the bulb a second time causes the fluid to flow out of the bulb into the user's eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,115 to Peng illustrates an eye-washing device having a manually operated eyelid turning member. The device further includes a drain tube for removing eye washing solution from the eyecup.
All of these dispensers suffer from the disadvantages of requiring the user to tilt his head, something which can be difficult for elderly users. Most of the dispensers suffer the disadvantage of allowing eye secretions and/or debris to mix with the eye solution and re-enter the eye. Thus, the eye solution can become contaminated and infection could result. Still other disadvantages of these dispensers including the absence of means to prevent solution from dripping down a person's face into a person's mouth and/or onto a person's clothing.